| So why does this cover story
deal with the past 50 years when everyone's talking about the
millennium? Well, unlike the esoteric concept -- hyped, I believe --
of the millennium, 50 years is a lifetime, something more tangible,
something we can all live through. Modern India has lived through this
half century of tumult to be what it is today. As our name suggests,
that's our prime concern. And it is indeed time to be concerned as the
Indian republic hits a shaky half century.
I've always said we're in the business
of news, but sometimes we do need to throw up a few ideas that all of
us can dwell on. Historically, changes in society have always been
preceded by a flow of ideas. They are always catalysts for change.
The thinking behind this week's package
of stories that make up the cover does not aim to preach or
philosophise. It will, we hope, nudge the people, and maybe even the
Government, into thinking about change. So on some fundamental issues,
we bring you a basket of ideas. Some are big. Others are modest. But
this collective stream of ideas together encourage us as a nation to
break the mould and make an attempt to change our lives. There
couldn't be a better time because there is a distinct mood for change
in the air.
None other than Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee thinks so. He heads the list of distinguished writers
we have lined up for you. Vajpayee is predictably cautious, but
clearly, even he is concerned about the drift. Of the other writers,
many are specialists picked from all over the nation, some even from
abroad. Others are in-house experts -- a selection of editors and
correspondents -- who have spent years specialising on their subjects.
Perhaps some of these ideas will transform into the fountainhead of
change.
(Aroon Purie) |
